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@article{183525,
        author = {B VIVILIA ARIVU MANI and Dr. M. Kannadhasan},
        title = {Honour Killing: A Murder Driven By Arrogance -The Horrific Face Of Caste In Anuradha Roy’s The Earthspinner},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {3},
        pages = {2163-2168},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=183525},
        abstract = {This paper critically explores caste-based oppression and symbolic honour killing in Anuradha Roy’s novel The Earthspinner, focusing on the tragic narrative of Elango, a gifted potter whose love defies the boundaries of caste and religion. While the novel does not depict a literal act of honour killing, Elango’s eventual fate reflects the socio-political dynamics of such violence, grounded in caste arrogance and communal hatred. Through the lens of symbolic or social murder, this study investigates how the deeply entrenched structures of caste manifest in acts that deny individuals the right to love, create, and live freely. The Earthspinner intricately weaves together personal and political narratives, illuminating how creative and emotional expression is stifled under regressive social norms. Elango’s relationship with Zohra, a Muslim girl, becomes a site of contention in a community poisoned by intolerance and patriarchal pride. His murder though not labelled as an honour killing—is steeped in the same motivations: preserving the so-called purity and honour of one’s caste and community. This paper argues that caste arrogance acts as a catalyst for this symbolic honour killing, wherein Elango’s transgressive love is punished through lethal violence.
The study employs close textual analysis of the novel alongside a socio-political examination of honour killings in contemporary India. By situating the narrative within the broader context of caste-based atrocities and communal anxieties, the paper unpacks the mechanisms through which caste operates as a form of social surveillance and enforcement. Theoretical insights from Dalit literature, postcolonial studies, and human rights discourse inform the interpretation. The urgency of reading literary texts like The Earthspinner as not merely aesthetic works but as potent socio-political commentaries. Roy’s novel exposes the fatal consequences of caste arrogance and challenges readers to confront the brutal realities that still shape individual destinies in modern India.},
        keywords = {Caste oppression, honour killing, Anuradha Roy, communal violence, The Earthspinner, symbolic murder, social injustice.},
        month = {August},
        }